Social media, internet use and marketing in Latin America

We’re back with another installment in our Eye on series on the digital state of a nation, or in this case a continent. Today we are looking at one of the most rapidly expanding and exciting digital frontiers: Latin America. Latin America and Brazil, Mexico and Argentina in particular are often left out in discussions about the online marketplace which tend to focus on the US, Europe and Asia. But:

Take Aways

Social media advertising on anything other than Facebook is probably going to be a waste of time. Why limit your audience to 10%?

If you are launching your service in Brazil you need to make sure your security is up to speed.

Unlike Europe and the US, Latin American Facebook users spend a great deal of time on the site. Engagement is higher and Facebook Ads might have a higher ROI.

Mobile Facebook ads are growing as is e-commerce, making Latin America an exciting prospect for e-commerce advertising.

However, with smartphone penetration low compared to mature markets Latin America is more about potential at the moment.

Latin America is basically all about Facebook, and while it is potentially an interesting market for mobile and ecommerce it cannot compete yet with more mature markets. The average spend on internet advertising is also very low compared to Europe and the US. It is however excellent for those looking to enter a less mature market and build their audience gradually.